Timex's new Deepwater Meridian 300 HEV automatics feature grade 5 titanium, helium escape valve

At $999, the Deepwater Meridian 300 Titanium HEV Automatic costs more than twice what its steel predecessor did at launch. It opened for preorder in July and hasn't been covered here until now. What the extra money buys is grade 5 titanium, a hundred more meters of water resistance, and a helium escape valve.

The valve sits on the case side beside 10 o'clock and looks very much like a second crown. It works one way, releasing helium that seeps into the case during saturation diving and would otherwise expand on ascent and force the crystal right off the watch. Almost no owner will use it, but what it does do is draw a defined line between "dive-styled watches" and dive tools.

The case measures 44 mm across, 15 mm thick and 51 mm lug to lug. It's finished in matte bead-blasting, alongside a ceramic inlay that's in the unidirectional ratcheting bezel. As expected, the crystal is sapphire with anti-reflective coating. A screw-down crown with integrated guards and a screw-on caseback complete the 300-meter rating. Luminous fill is Nemoto LumiNova SG2200.

Timex does name the movement in this lineup, unlike the Deepwater Meridian 200 — a Miyota 8215 with 21 jewels, running at 21,600 vibrations per hour with roughly 42 hours of reserve and a unidirectional winding rotor.

The strap is HNBR synthetic rubber. It's specifically chosen for heat and chemical resistance. Two dial variants are listed, TW2Y48300 and TW2W82100.

Pricing-wise, the original Deepwater Meridian 200 launched at $399, and steel versions sell around £215 to £240 in the UK. At $999 the titanium version is listed for more than double. Both references are still on preorder, even more than a month after it was announced.

Meanwhile, you can check out the Timex TW2W74600VQ on Amazon.